Just changed the front-offside wheel on my wife's 1998 Daewoo Matiz (refitting repaired tyre) after having the steel spare on it for a fortnight.
Subsequently I've have found that the steering wheel is off-centre when driving straight and doesn't quite feel "right" to me in it's movement, in terms of the resistance you feel when applying lock.
Any suggestions as to what might be the cause? Thanks in advance.
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PhiL
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How far off centre is the steering wheel? Was it off centre with the original wheel on it before it was repaired? If the angle of the steering wheel has definitely altered then my best guess would be that they have had the tyre off the rim to do the repair and put the tyre back on the rim the opposite way round. This is not necessarily a problem as long as it is not a directional tyre and on a Daewoo Matiz I would doubt that anyway.
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Thanks for your response Simon.
Sitting at my desk I'd guestimate that the steering wheel's an inch or two off-centre. It's something I noticed almost as soon as I'd fitted the repaired tyre, and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't off-centre with the tyre pre-repair, or with the (virtually new) spare fitted.
I belive they did take the tyre off the rim to repair it, and no it's not directional (Dunlop SP30) so your hypothesis sounds quite feasible.
Presumably then the off-centre steering would simply be due to the wear pattern on the repaired tyre? If so will it rectify itself over time, or not until I have the tyres replaced?
Cheers
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PhiL
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Phil
Where did you jack it up?
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Yes, the pressures are definitely correct.
I jacked it up using the jack that came with the car at the jacking point on the sill just behind the front-offside wheel.
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PhiL
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Check to see if the tyre place have put the tyre on the rim the original way round. This if incorrect can cause problems. Regards Peter
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Put the spare back on and see if it changes.
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Probably the cone effect. Tyres can wear so that they have a directional pull, which the correct setting of the steering will compensate for. Then if the tyre is reversed, the effect works in the other direction and the steering has to be adjusted again, if you are bothered.
Unless the tyre was marked and put back in the same position on the rim, and the rim was replaced on the same wheel studs, it is always a possibility, albeit normally negligible.
Presumably the wheel/tyre was rebalanced after repair?
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Why did the tyre need repair ? Did anything happen that might have caused tracking or suspension probs? eg hit kerb or pothole hard
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I'd swap the wheels round so the repaired tyre is on the other side, then if the steering is offset t'other way at least it proves it's the repaired tyre causing the problem.
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I'd swap the fronts with the rears and forget about it ;-)
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Thanks for the suggestions guys.
The tyre had a slow puncture, caused by a leak around the bead apparently. The wheel was rebalanced once the tyre had been refitted.
I'm pretty sure the car/wheel hasn't suffered any more trauma (eg. being bashed on a kerb) than the usual daily serving on British roads, though I'm sure that's enough!
I do suspect now that the most likely cause is the tyre being put back on the rim the opposite way round, since that makes most sense. There's no obvious way I can think of to check this, besides as suggested swapping the front wheels or putting the spare back on to see what happens. To be honest though I'm unlikely to find the time and/or enough motivation to do it!
The car will probably need new front tyres in a couple of months anyway (had been concerned that the corroded alloys might have become porous, hence the repair of a fairly worn tyre rather than replacing it) so I'll wait and see what happens to the steering then.
Cheers all!
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PhiL
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your profile says you get lots of time off.
or is that an old profile?
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Assuming you wash your car then if the tyre is the wrong way round then the outside will look more dirty or the labelling will be different. Regards Peter
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Regarding the tyres looking more dirty, they're pretty old anyway so it's not really easy to tell the difference (and I don't wash the tyres). Would the markings differ if they're asymmetrical?
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PhiL
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Would the markings differ if they're asymmetrical?
"Unlike a directional tyre, an asymmetric tyre can be used in any position on the vehicle. It is very important however, to follow such wording as 'inside' and 'outside' on the tyre's sidewalls to ensure that the tyre is fitted 'the right way round'. As with directional tyres, incorrect fitment can seriously impair performance. And, again if you do use a wheel with an incorrectly fitted asymmetric tyre, it should be regarded strictly as a 'Temporary spare'."
www.dunloptyres.co.uk/ourTyres/car/technicalInform.../
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That would have been before I got married, had two kids and became a homeowner!!
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PhiL
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